Quick-release footplate

Gary says… Quick-release footplates are so essential it’s hard to find a monopod or tripod without one. One technique for using them with longer, heavier lenses is to mount them on the lens mount. This means the weight between the back of the camera body and the front of the lens is evenly distributed. Never use a long lens with the footplate mounted on the camera body because it’ll drag the entire camera forwards and downwards – you may even drop it.